Story of Riddick
by Tenebrea
Summary: Before Riddick's experiences with those on the Hunter-Gratznar...He went through an adventure that would change his life forever. Many things happened, including: escaping from Slam, running from Johns, and finding a mysterious planet and woman.
1. Prologue/Chapter One

Prologue DISCLAIMER: All characters and elements from "Pitch Black" are sole property of David Twohy and USA films. The other characters and concepts are from my imagination and belong to me.   
NOTE: I would love to get feedback, so please review my story and give me input! If you like my story, I will continue writing. If you want to email me: vin_diesel_fan_@hotmail.com   
  


The man spun around and searched the shadows. Only shades of darkness greeted him. He shrugged and continued walking home. He had just finished work and was tired and on edge. He had a strange feeling of being watched. 

Riddick eyed the tall, gangly man that walked ahead of him. He kept in the dark shadows of the cool night. The man would have to pay, Riddick thought. He wasn't sure how to go about his first kill. All he saw was rage. 

Riddick was still young; he was nineteen years old. He wanted to get revenge. He had raised himself since very young, and he had always lived in poverty. His mother had abandoned him when he was a baby. Since then, he had done various illegal things in order to survive. Most recently Riddick's crime. 

Suddenly, Riddick was behind the man and he pulled his carefully handcrafted shiv made of bone. He pressed the weapon forcefully into the man's throat and growled a few words in his gravelly tone. 

"You made a big mistake. Now you are gonna pay. Next time know who you are fuckin' with first." 

The last thing that Riddick heard before he ripped the knife along his throat was the man begging for his life. Blood ran down Riddick's hand and he laughed a deep, hearty laugh. This felt good…Really good. Riddick smelled the vengeful blood and it became a part of him. He closed himself to emotion. He knew he would never be the same. 

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Riddick sat in restraints and observed his surroundings with his heightened senses. It had been seven years since his first kill. Chaos had followed him wherever he went from that point on. His rage became worse, and the number of deaths grew to sickening numbers. A mercenary, by the name of Johns, had devoted himself to tracking Riddick all over the galaxy. As a wanted criminal, he was worth a lot of money, and many a merc wanted to drag his ass to jail. Johns was the one who finally did it. Riddick went to Slam because of him, but he had proved his ability as a criminal by escaping from that nightmare of a prison. Unfortunately for him, his freedom was short-lived. It was squelched by Johns himself...he wondered where he'd be if things had only gone differently. That son of a bitch, Johns, had caught him and delivered him as promised. Now he was on this damn transport ship headed back to maximum security prison on Ursa Luna. He hated to think of going back to "Slam", as the prisoners called it. He remembered the day that he had escaped not too long ago…   


_The new guard eyed the cell carefully.___

_"This guy is pretty dangerous, huh?"___

_He tugged at his collar and swallowed. He was one of the best and that's why he was here to guard the most well known criminal in the galaxy. The other guard laughed at him.___

_"At least the shifts are only several hours, and most importantly there is a lot of metal between the two of you."___

_"I doubt bars and restraints can stop him."___

_As the other guard left, he took his post uncomfortably. A while later he heard a loud popping noise, and then something hit the floor within the room. He turned and tried to see into the dark holding cell. He heard a painful scream and then total silence._   
_'Hell, what happened in there? Is he dead or something?'_   
_The guard put his fingertip up to the scanner on the wall. The cell door slid open following his entry scan. Still he saw nothing. It was completely black and his fear filled the air._   
_'Maybe this isn't such a good idea.'___

_The guard began to back up slowly and started to reseal the door. Suddenly he felt a hard blow on the back of his head and then he blacked out.___

_Riddick stood over him with his hands no longer behind his back, but in front due to the dislocating stunt that he had used. He grabbed the guard's gun and shot of his restraints. He put a bullet in the guard's head and then left the room.___

_Riddick was now twenty-six years old, and he was considered a very dangerous criminal…and with good reason.___

_He stopped in front of the room holding the weapons locker. Riddick ducked into the shadows of the ship as a lieutenant walked out of the door. He slipped into the room without a sound. His eyes glowed as he glanced around the now empty and dark room.___

_"There she is."___

_Riddick mumbled as he picked up his shiv that had once been confiscated. He also grabbed several other guns and knives. He slipped his bone carved shiv into his waistband and slipped on his goggles that he had recovered. Then he headed out of the room.___

_As soon as he stepped into the hallway alarms began to sound and he heard a commotion of panicked soldiers.___

_"Damn, I guess that's my cue to get the hell out of here."___

_Riddick glanced around and spotted a vent on the top of the wall. He turned his head sharply.___

_"Uh…please…hey stop…someone help!"___

_A rambling guard stood there trying fruitlessly to fix the problem at hand. Riddick lunged at him and took him out at the knees. The guard struggled to compete but soon found himself pinned to the ground with a shiv at his neck.___

_"Please don't hurt me, please. I have a wife and two kids. Please spare me. I'll do anything." He choked out barely above a whisper.___

_Riddick breathed in deeply. He loved the smell of pure unadulterated fear. The look in the man's eyes made Riddick even more ready for the kill. He was a sick man and he thought nothing of it.___

_Riddick plunged his shiv into the man's gut without a second thought. He ripped his skin into shreds and let the blood pour out onto the floor. He wiped his weapon off on his shirt and turned toward the vent. Riddick tore off the metal cover and hoisted himself into the small opening. He replaced the panel and crawled through the tube. He heard people shouting in the halls that he passed.___

_"We need to find that man! I don't give a fuck how dangerous he is! Someone get Johns on my contact screen. Tell him I've got a job for him that pays a hell of a lot of money."___

_Riddick heard the statement but continued on. He didn't like the sound of this Johns guy. Probably a filthy merc. Riddick hated mercs and everything they stood for. He hated anyone connected to the law. This Johns guy seemed no different than any other as far as he was concerned. Riddick made a mental note to someday kill this man named Johns._   
  
Riddick stopped dwelling on the events from the past and focused on the problem at hand. Now he knew what Johns was like, unlike before, and he was hoping to never see him again. He knew that if he had escaped from Slam, then he could overtake a pathetic prison transport ship. He wasn't going back. He would do whatever it took to get off the ship that was headed there. All he needed to do was put his plan into action… 


	2. Chapter Two

Story of Riddick-Ch_2   


Riddick leaned down and pulled out a carefully concealed shiv from his boot. They weren't as careful as those back in Slam. At first, they were very cautious and rigorous knowing the fact that he was a notorious killer. But when the days turned into weeks and the weeks grew into months and Riddick didn't try anything conspicuous, they grew less careful. The guards had definitely underestimated him. 

Riddick slowly went to work on his restraints and patiently waited for the next guard exchange. He knew it was late at night, and they tended to get sloppy with their work. He heard a man over the ship's com link. 

"I'm on my way over, but I've got to stop by my room first." 

"Okay, as long as you're on your way. I've got to go because I'm late to contact my wife. See you tomorrow for my next shift." 

The guard strolled off and Riddick saw an opportunity. He forced the lock open with his shiv and caught up with the guard. 

The guard heard something and spun around, only to come face to face with Riddick. He bumped into the killer's chest. 

"Surprise motha fucka. We met before?" 

"Nnnn…nnoo…no." 

"Well, you meet me, and you meet other things you didn't bargain for." 

He lifted his shiv and tapped it along the crease of the guard's neck. Riddick smirked, slit the wide-eyed man's throat, and then stepped over his newly limp body. Blood trickled from the man's neck and Riddick glanced over his shoulder as he walked away. 

"Nice to meet ya." 

'Now to find your little friend.' 

Riddick stood in front of one of the few doors of the ship. He knew it must be the quarters of the other guard. 

Seconds later, a short, but well built man exited the room. Riddick didn't wait for anything to go wrong. He thrust his shiv into the man's back and twisted it sharply. The man let out a choking, gurgling sound and then collapsed on the floor. He looked around and counted the rest of the sleeping quarters. 

'Two bastards down, two to go.' 

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"I'm sorry Tyana, but this is something we have to do, especially with your drug problem and all. You are officially relieved of duty when you reach the prison. Out." 

As the message clicked off the screen, the figure sitting before it quivered. Tyana Maxwell couldn't believe what she was hearing. Work was her life, and now it was all gone—taken from her…by that bastard, Johns. She wiped her eyes and began to throw her belongings into a pack. She was strong; she knew she would survive somehow. 

Tyana stormed out of her room and went to the control center of the ship. She saw her friend, Blake Malone, sitting in the pilot chair. 

"Malone! That mother fucker actually did it! He told them that I was on drugs…that lying, no good, son of a bitch." 

Tyana was blind with anger and her words began to run together while she was talking a mile a minute. 

"Calm down Ty! It'll work out. You know that you are clean. Now Johns on the other hand is another story. Such a hype…only thinks about his next fix. I can't believe you are actually related to him." 

Malone laughed quietly. Tyana's eyes flashed in his direction. 

"This isn't funny. He's gonna pay for this. He knows I never wanted my mom to marry his damn dad. It's not my fault he's my stepbrother. If I had a say in it, I would have wished for the day that I had never met that fucker. He takes out his lack of ability to do his job on me. Aughh! He just pisses me off so much!" 

"Whoa, take a breath girl." 

Tyana tried to compose herself. Her mind drifted to the discovery she had made only a month ago. Johns thought he knew everything about her, but what he didn't know is that she had found a file on the main computer while she still worked on the main base back at Ursa Luna. It has some information that really made her wonder. She had the desire to explore it and learn all about it. The chance was something she had been waiting for. She wouldn't let Johns spoil it for her. In her mind, she had an ace up her sleeve. 

Malone smiled at Tyana, who was slowly relaxing. She had her weaknesses, but she was still one tough chick. 

"Why don't you calm down by getting some coffee. I'll talk to you when you get back." 

"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for putting up with me Drake." 

"No prob Ty…now go get some coffee before you drive both of us insane." 

Tyana turned and walked down toward the small kitchen situated in the back of the ship. 

Malone continued to press buttons on the control panel. He didn't hear someone standing behind him. Riddick stood poised to strike with his shiv near Malone's back. A voice broke the silence. 

"Malone! Do you want anything to drink?" 

"No, actually I--" 

He was cut short as he turned slightly in his chair. He was met by Riddick's blade in his neck. He struggled momentarily before he fell to the floor with a thud. 

"Malone? Are you okay?" 

Tyana voiced her concern as she re-entered where she had left her friend. Her breathe caught in her throat as she came face to face with a well built man who was clutching a bloody knife. Her eyes caught sight of the victim. She teared up as she looked over Malone's bloody corpse. She could barely choke out a whisper. 

"Who the fuck are you?" 

Tyana didn't wait for an answer. She slammed her hand down onto a button on her right side. A loud alarm began to ring out through the ship. Riddick looked her over and began to laugh heartily. 

"That won't do you much good." 

Within a second Riddick was at her neck with his weapon. He was about to slit her throat when he heard footsteps approaching. He threw her to the ground and growled at her. 

"Don't try anything or you're dead." 

'Damn, I guess I missed one,' Riddick thought to himself. 

An officer walked through the door. His eyes filled with fear at the sight of Riddick standing over him. 

Tyana recognized him as one of the members of the ship's small crew. 

"Thank God you're here Jeff!" 

A glimmer of hope flashed over Tyana's eyes. To her shock Jeff instead turned to run. 

"You yellow ball-less bastard! What the hell are you doing? Don't leave me here!" 

Riddick smirked at the frightened man running down the hall. He stood completely still. He drew his gun and fired a few shots into the officer's back. 

"They can run…and they can hide…but either way they die." 

Riddick turned to face Tyana who was huddled the corner searching the room with her eyes in hope of finding something to use as a weapon. 

"There's nothing to use. No need to try something stupid. Oh wait…it's too late for that. That wasn't smart. When I tell you to do something, you do it." 

He slowly approached her as if he were stalking a prey. 

"But I overheard you and your crew-pal here talking earlier." Riddick looked down on Malone's body as he spoke. 

"No wonder you don't listen…you're related to Johns." 

"You killed Malone you bastard!" 

Tyana lunged at Riddick and attempted several blows that were all futile. She screamed at him as he easily flipped her over and had his shiv to her throat in an instant. 

"Don't fuck with me. I won't hesitate to kill you. I never do." 

"Get off me." 

Tyana growled at him. 

"Feisty one." 

Riddick smirked and then grew serious. 

"You being connected with Johns could come in handy later. But don't push your limits. There is a line that you shouldn't cross. Just remember that I will kill you if need be." 

Riddick grabbed the restraints he had escaped from earlier that day. He bound her and left her in the corner. He then walked over to the pilot chair. He moved Mallone's body out into the hall and then came back. He wasn't positive where he was going to go, but he knew that he had to go somewhere. By now word had probably reached others, and Johns was most likely already on his tail. Riddick set a temporary course until he decided where he wanted to go. He turned to look at the girl again. 

"So who are you?" 

"Me! Who the fuck are you?!" 

"Hey, no need to be rude. You first." 

"The name's Tyana Maxwell. Former prison information processor, lieutenant, and pilot." 

"Hmm. Richard B. Riddick. Just recently escaped convict, expert in many fields, and of course murderer." 

Tyana nervously swallowed and tried to avoid looking in his direction. 

"Now that we've been introduced, how about you tell me a little about that information you found at the prison base? The government always seems to hide all kinds of shit there." 

"Why should I tell you?" 

"Well I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I am a convicted murderer with a thirst for blood, and you are tied up and completely vulnerable." 

Riddick leaned down until his face was only inches from hers. He could smell her perfume, sweat, and fear. She smelled very good to him. He removed his goggles and looked into her eyes. 

She gasped at the glow of his eyes. She had heard stories about this Riddick guy and how he had somehow gotten a shine job on his eyes while he was in Slam, but it was amazing to actually be looking into them. She had heard rumors that he had dug up a doctor and paid him twenty menthol cools to do the operation; all so he could see people sneaking up on him in the dark. She swallowed slowly. She was nervous partially because he was dangerous and also because he was only inches away from her. He was strong and very attractive. He screamed masculinity and she couldn't avoid noticing everything about him. 

"Tell me about that information…" 

He breathed the words, now right next to her ear. He moved around to look into her eyes again and waited for her to reply. 

She felt paralyzed. His breath so close to her skin, made her tense up in what was almost excitement. He was so close that she could practically feel him. She thought about telling him what she knew, but suddenly her train of thoughts changed. She remembered Mallone's body laying on the ground and the way Riddick acted like it was nothing. She was now full of contempt for him. 

"Fuck you." 

Tyana spat into Riddick's face. He wiped his face off calmly and met her eyes again. 

"Someday your luck's gonna run out. Then you'll be sorry. Trust me, I never forget when I owe somebody something. You better hope I will owe you something good rather than bad. When it's good it's really good, but when it's bad it's really bad. I personally would like to owe you something really good." 

Riddick smirked as he looked her over and walked back over to the chair where he sat down to rest. He closed his eyes and relaxed after a day's work. 

Tyana saw no way of escape. She was stuck on this ship with a murderer who was playing some sort of mind games with her. No one knew where she was or what had happened. The only person after them was Johns. He was the last person she wanted to see. At this point Tyana realized that this was going to be a very long trip. She laid her head back and tried to rest. She probably wouldn't get much rest in the next few days; she was too on edge. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter 2   
  


Tyana watched Riddick. She wasn't sure, but she thought that he was asleep. She looked around the room. A panel stood in the corner, and it had a sharp edge on it. She slowly scooted over to the corner as quietly as she could. She began to try to cut her restraints with the sharp corner. 

"I wouldn't do that." 

She turned to see Riddick standing behind her. She sighed and leaned back against the wall. 

"Come now, Tyana, I thought you were going to behave yourself. It's a shame…now I'm gonna have to get rough." 

Tyana shuddered but tried to hide her fear. Now she had done it, she had pushed too hard and had pissed off a killer. 'Way to go Ty…you are so stupid'   
She closed her eyes and waited to be killed. Riddick grabbed her arms and raised her to a standing position. He turned her around and pushed her into the wall. He spread her legs and pushed her bound arms further behind her back. She was surprised by his actions and wondered what he was doing. 

"What are you going to do to me?" 

Tyana was fearful of what he might do. 

"Just making sure you don't have any more tricks up your sleeves." 

Riddick started at her ankles and made his way up. He first searched her boots for any hidden weapons. Next he slid his hands up her thighs. 

"Don't you fuckin' touch me, you pig." 

"I don't think you are in any position to make demands, besides, I'm just checking for weapons. Can't blame a guy for being cautious." 

She breathed in shakily as his hands ran over her body. She had mixed emotions. She knew he was a bastard for killing Mallone, and yet he was almost intoxicating. Like a drug…bad for you and yet satisfying at the same time. And like most drugs…illegal…off limits. 

Riddick was enjoying this more than he should. She was so soft and delicate and yet had spunk in her. He didn't open up easily, and he knew he would never fully open up to her. No one seemed capable of getting him to accomplish that task. Riddick wondered who could ever change his life around. Yet he could see himself possibly caring about Tyana in some fashion. But right now his animal instincts were still too great to think about caring for anyone. Riddick was almost finished searching her when he paused. 

"Don't even think about it you mother fucker!" 

"Sorry, you never know where things can be hidden." 

"No! You pervert!" 

Riddick ignored her and quickly searched her chest with his hand. He pulled out a small disc. 

"Look what I've found. I guess that was worth the effort in more than one way." 

"Hmmph." 

Tyana growled and turned away. Riddick laughed and then put the disc into the panel in front of him. A star map showed up on the viewing screen. It also had some additional information files attached. 

"Looks like Miss Maxwell was hiding some valuable information from me. Interesting…looks like government files. Possibly what we were discussing before?" 

"Oh I'm sorry did you say something? I have trouble hearing anything said by fucking sons of bitches!" 

"Well then you'll have a lot of trouble hearing me, 'cause from what I know of her, she definitely was one hell of a bitch." 

Riddick selected the main file, and it filled the screen. 

Classified File 457 

_Atrean_   
_M-class planet_   
_Oxygen atmosphere capable of supporting life_   
_72 animal species_   
_24 dangerous species_   
_Not open for habitation_   
_Concealed due to incident 347 (listed in file 459)_   
_Order passed to keep people away from planet at all costs_   
_Planet will be destroyed to stop force_   
_If on schedule, annihilation date is set for 4 years from current date_   
_23 soldier casualties—all lost to force_   
_No additional information provided without access code___

Riddick stared at the words, and Tyana tried to read over his shoulder from where she sat. 

"Why is this planet such a big mystery? Where is file 495 so we can find out about that incident? And what is the force?" 

Tyana spouted off tons of questions at once. She rambled due to her excitement of learning about the planet in her files. Riddick grunted in response to her barrage of questions. He just continued to press buttons. 

"Looks like the file containing the details of the incident are missing. The other files are just filled with useless facts." 

"Damn it! I thought I had all of the files." 

"Well looks like you're wrong again." 

"Ooh, if I weren't tied up…I'd…well I'd…just know it would be painful." 

"Oh, I'm scared now. YOU are going to hurt ME? Haha…I can see my life passing before my eyes at this very moment." 

Riddick laughed deeply as he mocked her words. 

"Wow, you must be bored to death. A life of prison, whores, and alcohol. What a way to go out…reliving such meaningful moments." 

Riddick smirked at her remark. She was indeed a feisty one. 

"According to the date of these files, it is still a little over a year before the government will come to destroy it. Knowing that brother of yours, he is already on my ass. I think an inopportune visit to this planet might be a good idea." 

Riddick entered the coordinates into the ship's computer and set it to autopilot. 

"We've got a six or seven day flight. You may want to rest that little mouth of yours…possibly get some sleep. I could use some quiet in here." 

"Oh, pull your head out of your ass. You're not exactly Mr. Easy-to-get-along-with either. Maybe you should consider shutting that mouth of yours just as much as I should." 

"You're pushing that little line I told you about earlier. Just go to sleep."   


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Tyana woke up groggily. She yawned and sat up. 

"Thank God, that must have all been a dream. What a fucking nightmare!" 

"Surprise, I'm no dream…I'm real. It's your lucky day." 

Riddick growled from the pilot's chair. 

"No, I was right, you really are a nightmare." 

"Damn, you let people get under your skin too easily. I being one of them." 

"You ego-crazed bastard. Don't flatter yourself into thinking that you can actually get to me, because you can't!" 

"Oh really? Is that a challenge I smell?" 

Tyana knew she was getting herself into something she would regret. She swallowed uncomfortably. 

"I've already pissed you off and 'it DIDN'T bother you'…so what if I were to try a different approach…say by doing this." 

Riddick leaned down and put his face right next to hers. He looked into her eyes. He knew that he already had her in the palm of his hands. He began to lightly kiss her neck. 

Damn he was good, she thought. This wasn't fair. She practically melted when his lips contacted her neck. She had contempt for him and yet she couldn't protest. He smelled so good, and he was so strong. She had already lost the bet, and she knew it. But when his lips brushed hers everything disappeared and she had, in a way, won in a completely different aspect. She sighed and returned the kiss with full force. 

Riddick planned to tease the girl, but he found that the kiss was very powerful. The way she kissed him back with such passion made him weak in the knees. But he had been Riddick too long to just forget about it. He had to win the bet and teach her a lesson. 

He kissed her neck again and she leaned in for more. She was still tied up so she was rather limited in options. Then Riddick lightly bit her ear and backed up, leaving her both eagerly waiting for more and looking a bit shocked at the same time. Soon after, she snapped out of her dazed state. 

"Oww! That was my ear you idiot!" 

"Just a souvenir from the notorious Riddick. I think that proves my point…and I think you liked my point rather well, didn't you?" 

"Don't flatter yourself, you ass hole." 

"Hey we had a thing going for a second. Does that include you in the list of my whores that you so recently mentioned?" 

"REAL funny Riddick! You better shut the hell up." 

"Alright, alright. But maybe we'll finish where we left off sometime." 

Riddick laughed at her shocked expression and walked to the back of the ship. He didn't come back right away, so Tyana fell back asleep. 

Moments later, Riddick returned. 

"Hey, wake up." 

"WHAT?!" 

"Not a morning person, I take it." 

Riddick said as he placed a tray in front of her. 

"Eww, what is that?" 

"I'm SOO sorry! I really should have brought a chef along for the trip so he could prepare seven course meals for your royal ass." 

"Fuck you." 

"Well, if you really want to……" 

Tyana's eyes got wide at his blunt statement. She turned red and began to stutter. 

"Well…that's…well that's…not what I meant." 

Riddick only laughed. 

"What you get today is some sort of mushy-soupy stuff that I found in the kitchen. For tonight, more mush. For tomorrow…yeah…more mush." 

"Oh great. I can barely contain my excitement." 

"I know…but try." 

He grabbed a spoonful and began to put it near her mouth but stopped. 

"You better not try to bite me." 

"And why's that?" 

"I bite back." 

She turned red thinking about the last time that he had bitten her. 

"But you can go ahead and try it if you want me to give you another tattoo. I wouldn't mind obliging to that." 

"Very funny." 

Tyana glared at him, but gladly accepted the food. It tasted awful, but she was grateful for anything in her empty stomach at this point. She didn't know how long she could last on this ship with Riddick. He knew how to push her buttons, and it was frustrating. She was glad to know that they would reach the planet in a few days. A change of scenery would be nice. Maybe she could find a way to escape there. What Tyana didn't know was that she was also affecting Riddick. She intrigued him. But she also didn't know that he was a step ahead of her. He knew that she'd try to escape the minute she got a chance. He was ready. He wasn't about to let her get away from him. 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter 3   
  


Johns grinned sadistically. He stood in his small ship and looked over the file on the view screen. 

"You're getting more careless, Tyana." 

Johns furrowed his eyebrows as he studied the information. He had suspected that Tyana wouldn't go down without a fight. He hated her from the moment they met. She was trouble in his mind. She was too easy to distract and not very good at hiding things, but she still had some tricks up her sleeve. Johns had easily retrieved a file from what she had thought were "secret" findings. He was well equipped in trickery…as a merc he had to be. He doubted that she was still alive, due to Riddick, but he didn't care either way. 

"Bingo." 

Johns studied the coordinates for a small M-class planet. He knew that Riddick would most likely be headed there. Riddick couldn't be underestimated in his ability to figure out the seemingly impossible. Johns could think of nothing but payday as he set his ship to autopilot. The danger of the force, mentioned the file, didn't even enter his stubborn mind. 

"Thought you could get away from me, for once, Riddick? You are sorely mistaken. I'm coming for you, bitch." 

Johns laughed disgustingly. He was ready for the chase. He lived his life for moments like these. 

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"Can I at least pee? I've really gotta go!" 

Tyana had been pestering Riddick for what had seemed like hours. His nerves were wearing thin. 

"Alright! You can, if you shut up!" 

Riddick pulled her off the floor and led her to the bathroom. 

"Aren't you going to untie me? I can't do this without the use of my hands." 

"I'm sure if you tried hard enough, you could figure it out. It's either that or going back to the control room. You can always make use of your leg if you have to go that bad." 

"Okay! Just let me go then!" 

He switched her hands from her back to the front so she could maneuver minimally. Riddick stood there as she entered the small, dimly lit room. He just stood in the doorway and stared at her. His eyes seemed to bore into her as the seconds passed. 

"Well, can I please have some privacy?!" 

Riddick shrugged and slowly began to shut the door, but he paused momentarily. 

"Don't try anything, because it won't work." 

"I'll be a perfect angel." 

Tyana flashed a sarcastic smile as he shut the door with a grunt. 

As soon as the door slid closed, her eyes swept the room. She looked for anything that could aide her escape. First, she quickly used the restroom and then continued to search. She could hear Riddick's steady breathing through the thin door. She swallowed uncomfortably. She knew that she didn't have much time. She quickly opened a small compartment located barely above the mirror. She scanned it for any usable items. Tyana was about ready to quit when she found a single razor blade sitting under a couple of folded towels. Her breath caught in her throat as the door slid open. She tucked the blade away quickly and spun to face the doorway. 

"Time's up." 

'Damn'. She inwardly groaned. She wished she had only had a few more moments to explore the bathroom. Maybe she could've found something more, but she knew that even with a better weapon, she still posed no threat to Riddick. 

Riddick put her arms back behind her back and lead her into the control room. He set her against the wall and approached the main computer panel. 

"Looks like we're right on time." 

"Yeah, to the planet in MY files!" 

"What...are you saying this is YOUR planet? Who made you God?" 

"I'm definitely not God…if I were…you wouldn't be standing here. You would've been 'taken care of' a long, LONG time ago." 

Tyana spit out the words, which were dripping with contempt. She hated having to answer to someone. She liked being her own woman. 

Riddick just grunted and turned back to the screen. The computer read that the atmosphere was somewhat unstable. He ignored the fact and began their decent. 

"You better be ready, because we're landing." 

He tapped a few more buttons, and the ship lurched slightly. A red light began to blink and an alarm began to sound. Several of the ship's systems had been blown. Their landing had been disturbed by the rough atmosphere. The friction was slowly wearing on the small vessel. Tyana clenched her jaw together in an effort to keep it from rattling. The turbulence shook the ship like a small tremor. Soon the quake subsided, and Tyana looked in Riddick's direction. At first Riddick said nothing. He began a system's check to see what had been damaged in the landing. Tyana soon broke his concentration. 

"Hey, I'm alive! I would have sworn something worse would have happened. I mean come on, you're in charge." 

"Yes, you're alive, and you better keep quiet if you want to stay that way." 

Tyana let the conversation drop off at Riddick's threat. He hadn't harmed her yet, but she wasn't willing to push the limits too far. She had a better chance of escape if she was actually breathing. 

"Looks like most of the systems are out. We'll need to let the ship finish the internal repairs. It looks like we'll be roughing it today." 

He knew that there were only minor glitches, and the ship would still be able to get off the planet. Riddick walked to the back of the room and turned a small dial on the wall in a clockwise direction. A small hatch slowly lowered to the ground. When the door was open, both Riddick and Tyana were speechless at what they beheld. They were greeted by a stunning array of colors. A deep, fleshy green surrounded them as far as the eye could see. A deep blue blanket reached far above their heads. Riddick led Tyana out into the new discovery. 

Tyana had never seen anything so beautiful. They were standing in a forest filled with unusual trees, grass, and flowers. The vibrant growths were like those of earth only filled with ten times as much color. The temperature was cold and there was a light breeze blowing. The blue sky was a mix of light and dark shades of color. For a moment all was forgotten: the whole incident aboard the prison transport. Her state of awe quickly faded when Riddick interrupted any chance for further thoughts. 

"I'd better get a fire going since the ship's environmental controls are down. Tomorrow we will explore this planet. We can't just be sitting ducks here in the ship. We'll come back for it later. Besides, I'm sure Johns will pay us a visit soon." 

Not too much later, Riddick ate some food from the ship while sitting near the fire. After the meal, dusk approached quickly. Riddick then lay down to rest. 

Tyana figured that this would be as good a time as any to try to escape. She was formulating a plan when she heard something stir in the bushes beyond the ship. 

"Riddick…something's out there." 

She turned to wake Riddick up, only to find him already wide-awake, shiv in hand. Tyana trembled, wondering what hideous creatures this beautiful planet could hold. Riddick seemed calm and collected while holding his shiv, poised and ready to strike. Suddenly a strange creature exited the leafy enclosure. It was unlike anything Tyana had ever seen before. It had scaly, reptile-like skin but was shaped almost like a large mountain lion without a tail. It had razor-sharp teeth and made odd grunting noises as it approached them. Riddick sprang forward and tried to drive the weapon into its neck. The animal quickly dodged his attempt and returned it with a quick swipe to Riddick's shoulder. Riddick let out a small yell of pain before composing himself. His next thrust of the shiv made contact with flesh. The beast screamed in pain. It then turned its attention elsewhere. 

Tyana was watching in horror and disbelief as the animal lunged at Riddick. She was scared of this creature and what pain it could inflict. Her thoughts stopped dead in their tracks, and she was frozen with fear. The alien beast was running toward her, teeth barred. She screamed as loud as her small lungs would permit. It jumped into the air and was falling toward her. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to prepare for immense pain. When none came, she slowly opened her eyes to get a peak of the situation. Riddick had snatched the creature away in mid air and was now battling it on the forest floor. He thrust the shiv into its gut over and over again until the corpse was limp and lifeless. Blood covered his hands as he stood staring at the red stained body. For once, it was not the stain of human blood upon his blade. 

Tyana sat with a shocked expression on her face. A murderer had just saved her life. The concept was pure irony in her opinion. She didn't know what to think of the man at the moment. Maybe he did have some emotions buried deep within him. 

"Th…ank…thank…you. You saved my life." 

Riddick grunted and then began to laugh. 

"Silly girl, I didn't save you. I just killed that damn thing for food. Gonna have to eat something when supplies run out, right?" 

Even Riddick had a hard time believing his own answer. He knew it wasn't true, but he didn't want to admit to himself that she was affecting him. He didn't want to feel anything…no emotions made things much simpler. Unfortunately he would have to deal with these situations eventually. 

Tyana tried to shrug it off. She knew he would never admit to saving her, but she felt upset that he just brushed it off as nothing. She knew that she was crazy for trying to change him; she had a feeling it would take a lot to break through the barrier he set up. Tyana felt the heavy blanket of silence between them. 

"Well…it figures that out of the small number of alien species on this planet that we'd actually come across one…and a dangerous one at that." 

"Huh? Yeah well, you can't be a picky eater." 

Riddick brushed off her statement as he skinned the animal with his blade. He butchered it and placed it in a small pack that he had found on the ship. He then set the bag aside so he could store the meat for later use. When he was done, he laid back down to rest. Riddick wasn't sure how cold it would get in the ship if they decided to sleep there for shelter. He chose to stay put. 

Hours had gone by and the site was very dark. Tyana was still awake. She knew Riddick would never change, and she knew she couldn't stand to be a prisoner for much longer. She carefully pulled out the concealed razor blade that she had kept from earlier on the ship. She began to work with the small blade and didn't quit until the shackles fell to the ground. Once she was free of her restraints, she glanced over at Riddick. He was breathing heavily as if he were deep in sleep. She looked for some light but found none. She didn't have extra time to search in fear of waking Riddick up, so she left without finding any. Tyana grabbed a few supplies and headed out into the unknown jungle. 

Riddick got up and gathered all his weapons and supplies. He smirked to himself. She thought that she had him fooled, but he had known she was awake and had even watched her escape. He had known about the razor blade since she had gotten it on the ship. He was just bored, and this chase after her seemed like a nice challenge. Once he was ready, he knelt down where she had so recently been. He picked up a single strand of her long brown hair. He breathed in her scent and memorized every detail. Her essence was sweet and, oddly, somewhat irresistible to him. Riddick got up and followed her trail into the forest. 

Tyana had no idea where to go. She was stumbling around blindly trying to find a refuge or way to escape. The sky held a fair amount of stars, but no moon to guide her steps. She heard the babbling of water to her left. Tyana figured that it must be a river or creek and decided to follow the water's flow. She walked as fast as she could while trying not to trip. She could only see a few feet ahead on the path, lit by the starry night. Tyana was glad to be free again. She sighed softly as she thought about her luck of getting away. The next thing she knew, she tripped and started to fall. She let a soft scream escape her lips. Instead of hitting the ground, Tyana fell into what felt like weightlessness. The strange experience caught her off guard. 

Riddick watched in shock. He had been about to make his move and retrieve her when he saw something strange happen. His eyes had been glowing in the dark night as he watched her trek along the river bed. He had seen her trip and expected her to fall. What he hadn't counted on was seeing what she fell into. It was like a massive wall of energy. It was a planetary distortion that she stepped right into. He could see through it as if it weren't even there. If it hadn't been for a slight visual anomaly and Tyana disappearing into it, he wouldn't have noticed it. He approached it slowly. He didn't want to admit that he was worried about where she had gone. He convinced himself that he should follow just to retrieve his prisoner and get further away from Johns. 

"Hell, here goes nothing." 

Riddick muttered to himself as he stepped into the unknown force. 

_Scenes and images began to flash before his eyes. He couldn't sort everything out; he was almost in a dream state. He saw people and places. He heard talking and strange gibberish, almost like clicking noises.___

_"We stick to the plan. We get the four cells back to the skiff. We're off this rock!……………Don't you cry for Johns. Don't you dare…………….I told you I'd die for them, Riddick, not you."___

_Things ran together, and Riddick couldn't figure out what was going on. He saw a ship, some passengers, a small boy, some kind of law officer, a group of menacing figures, and a woman. The woman was clearest of all in his scrambled vision. She seemed to be a steady point in his confusion, but then she was gone. He couldn't think or decipher as the strange events flashed across his mind. Scenes from his past overtook the current ones. He saw a middle-aged woman toss a baby into a liquor store trash bin with an umbilical cord wrapped around its neck. More images raced around and he had no way to attempt logical thought. All this happened in mere seconds when it felt like hours. As quickly as it had began, it ended…everything went black._


	5. Chapter Five

Riddick slowly opened his eyes and tried to sit up   


Riddick slowly opened his eyes and tried to sit up. The pain in his body stopped him. He groaned as he tried to move again. Finally, when he got to a sitting position, he looked around. The once healthy, green jungle was now a seemingly barren wasteland. Brown, broken limbs and dead grass stretched as far as the eye could see. Riddick searched for Tyana, but she was nowhere to be found. He slowly got to his feet. 

'Damn, that must've been one hell of a ride.' 

He tried to figure out what the strange force had been but to no avail. Riddick decided to just go and search for Tyana. He quickly gathered together the few items that he still had. He then searched the ground to find some sort of clue to where she could've gone. He saw a trail of broken down grass leading to the north. It looked as if someone had walked or been dragged through there. He assumed it had been Tyana and smirked at the thought of how careless she was. He pulled out his shiv and followed her path carefully. He looked as though he was once again stalking a prey. 

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Johns stepped out of the ship and looked around. He had already found where Riddick had landed the ship and built a fire. Something just didn't look right to him. The campsite seemed untouched and was left way too easy to find. It didn't match Riddick's style. Johns had a strange feeling that something had gone array. He saw what seemed to be signs of a struggle or fight. Some footprints were found near the corner of the camp. He quickly picked up on a trail and began to track him. He noticed that it seemed as if two people had traveled along the path, but he wasn't sure who else it could've been. He was surprised that Riddick hadn't killed everyone by that point. 

"You're losing your edge, Riddick." 

Johns laughed at his escaped prisoner. He couldn't wait to see the resentment in Riddick's eyes when caught once again. John's thoughts were cut short when the trail he was following suddenly ended. As he looked around, all he saw were trees and a small river to his left. Then he saw it—a strange anomaly. He remembered learning about the odd occurrence in the file he stole from Tyana. He decided that Riddick must have gone into it. Pushing all reason and logic aside, he stepped into the portal. 

"A payday is a payday…" 

Johns mumbled to himself as he stepped into the unknown. 

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Tyana's eyes slowly fluttered open. She found herself lying on a bed of some sort. It had a cold, hard surface. A thin, worn blanket had been draped over her frail frame. She was in a small, dimly lit room. The place was empty except for a small table to the right of the bed. The walls were constructed of some kind of lightweight metal. As she sat in the dim, musty enclosure memories came flowing back to her, and she wondered how she had gotten there from the forest. She stretched her sore muscles and slowly sat up. She heard some faint talking coming from outside the room. Tyana quietly crept over near the door and put her ear to it. 

"Todd, I found her just lying in the field south of the complex. She was right on the border of Ticaan territory, so I brought her back here. Mom and Dad don't know about her yet, but I'm scared to think of what they'd do if they find out. She's not like the others…I can tell. But she had to have come from the same place." 

Tyana couldn't make out what the other person said. She figured that the speaker was a young woman who sounded like she was about nineteen or twenty. She seemed to be talking to a sibling. Tyana gathered that they were talking about her, but she was still completely lost about what was going on. She wondered where she was and what the girl had meant. 

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard footsteps outside her room. It slowly grew louder as someone approached the door. Tyana quickly turned to get back onto the bed and pretended to be asleep. She was wary of the whole situation and wanted to be cautious. She was moments away from lying back down when she heard the door slide open behind her. She spun to meet whoever had entered. Tyana nervously backed into the corner. A young woman had entered the room. She was of medium height and had shoulder-length blonde hair. She smiled pleasantly at Tyana and began to approach her. 

"Oh, you're awake already. So, how are you feeling?" 

"Who are you? Where am I?" 

"My name is Sarah, and you are on the planet Atrean in a small complex…err city. Well, it used to be a city at one time. Now, the real question is 'who are you'?" 

Tyana recognized the planet's name but was bewildered by it. She was apparently on the same planet, but everything was different, and she was no longer near the forest or with Riddick. 

"My name is Tyana Maxwell. The last thing I remember is being in a forest on this planet. It was dark, I tripped over something, and the next thing I knew I was here in this room." 

Sarah looked troubled as she chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip. She looked up at Tyana as if she expected something. 

"Please tell me everything you know about what happened. I want to know about where you came from. Do you know about the others like you?" 

"Well, I was with one man, but I don't know if he is here or not. My situation with him is a confusing one. I don't know what 'others' you are talking about. If you want I will tell you all I know about the planet and what happened." 

Sarah nodded eagerly in approval and waited for Tyana to continue with her story. In return she promised to tell about her own life and the people on the planet. As Tyana started her story, she was cut short by a loud knocking on the door. 

"Yes?" 

The door slid open and a tall, dark-haired man stuck his head inside. 

"Tyana, this is my brother, Todd." 

Tyana was about to greet him when he interrupted the introduction. 

"Sarah, you have to get her out of here! Mom and Dad are home. If they find her, you will be in huge trouble." 

Sarah groaned miserably and grabbed Tyana's arm. She led her out of the room and down the hall. She stopped in front of a small door and opened it. 

"Why do I have to hide from your parents?" 

"I don't have time to explain now. I'll come back for you, and I'll tell you then. Now, you have to get out of here. If you follow this hall, you will find a door on your left. It is an old supply room that we barely use anymore. Don't come out until I come to get you. If anyone besides my brother or I come in, hide, don't get caught." 

Tyana saw the fear in the young girl's eyes. It made her angry to think that someone could strike such fear into an innocent heart. She knew that she would repay her somehow. Sarah was so confident, even in her fear, that it strengthened Tyana. Sarah turned to leave, but Tyana caught her arm. 

"Thank you." 

Sarah smiled at her, and they seemed to communicate wordlessly. She then turned and ran back down the hallway. 

Tyana worried about what kind of life this girl had to live, that she was deathly afraid of her parents. Her eyes searched the room that she had found and saw barrels stacked high in every corner. Shelves surrounded her, and she was left alone with nothing but dim light radiating from the cracks of the door. She found a spot behind a couple of crates and pulled her knees close to her body. She trembled as she sat in the cold, impersonal room. She wondered about what had happened in the woods. Tyana wished that she had never gone on the prison transport assignment, as she wiped a streak of wetness from her face. As quickly as they had begun, her tears and doubts faded away as she slipped into a surprisingly restful unconsciousness. 

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Her body writhed in pain as the cold metal tore into the pink flesh on her scarred back. She choked back her screams while tears slid down her ashen face. Her stomach turned as they relentlessly beat her over and over again. Blood ran down her back and bathed the floor in a sea of crimson. Her glazed-over eyes held years of pain and hatred toward her 'owners'. She was treated as a dirty piece of property. Day after day she was dominated without hope of freedom. Memories flooded her mind even though she tried desperately to block them out. She had been seventeen years old when it all started. She had raised her younger brother and sister for as long as she could remember, because they had never known their parents. It had come to a point where she couldn't afford to feed them. She had been desperate for food-anything to keep them alive. It went by in a blur; before she knew it, she was sucked into an underground circuit. The bad thing was that she and her siblings were products on it. It started out as working for food, but it quickly got out of control. She was lucky to stay together with her brother and sister, but they were bought and sold like worthless animals. When they didn't obey, they were beaten. Slavery was illegal on the planet that she had lived on. The government had tracked the illegal market down and attempted to stop it. Unfortunately, most of the people, that were involved, fled. She and her family were taken along for the ride. The slave owners came across a secluded planet, which they decided to live on and practice their trade freely. 

She forced herself to push her foul memories aside. She cringed as the owners turned on her brother. She squeezed her eyes closed and wished she could block out his piercing screams. She hated to hear those she loved suffer. She wondered what they had done to deserve this awful fate. She hoped that their misery would be short-lived. It was disgustingly ironic, because back on their old planet it had become a habit to call their owners Mom and Dad, because the slave owners used it as a cover up. Her owners, or 'Mom and Dad', stood before the two broken figures crumpled on the floor. One broke the brief silence by speaking harshly . 

"You two are worthless pieces of shit! You should be grateful that we have even kept you alive, especially after your sister ran away. If you don't do your jobs better and more efficiently tomorrow, you will be beaten twice as much. Do you understand? Damn it!" 

The girl and her brother sat in silence and kept their heads facing the ground. 

"Answer me you filthy animals!" 

"Yes sir." 

The two echoed their answers as they waited to be dismissed. 

"Go to your living quarters. You get no food tonight." 

She slowly got up and her brother followed. They looked at each other one last time before they split up. 

"Don't worry, Todd, it'll be okay." 

Sarah smiled a weak smile as she forced her battered body to go through her door. Her brother smiled back. 

"Goodnight Sarah." 

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Riddick paused as he examined the building before him. All the signs pointed to the fact that Tyana had to be in there. He decided to come back for her later. She was easy to track, so if she left he knew he could pick up on her trail. At that point he was curious about the planet and what it was like, now, after they had gone through the portal. He saw another compound in the far distance. He headed towards the hills where it was situated. 

Riddick reached the compound as the sun began to creep below the horizon. He approached the front entrance, shiv in hand. He heard what sounded like a branch snapping behind him, and he spun to see what had happened. Five or six men with makeshift weapons were behind him. He turned back around to see that the gate was open and several dozen more men stood before him. He was a strong fighter, but the sheer number of men was too much for him to tackle head on. Riddick dropped his shiv to the ground and extended his hands above his head. 

"He's not one of them. He might be one of the Ticaan soldiers, but I don't think he's like them either." 

The men talked among themselves for a while before addressing Riddick. 

"Who are you, and how did you get here?" 

"My name is Riddick, and I came through some kind of portal that left me in a field beyond this complex. I know it sounds strange, but that's what happened." 

Riddick expected them to think he was crazy, but they seemed to have looks of understanding on their faces. A man in his early twenties, who appeared to be in charge, stepped forward. 

"My name is Kain. Sorry we were rude, but we have good reason to be on edge. We are runaways, fugitives, rebels, or whatever you want to call us. I'm sure you saw that other complex on your way here. Well, that's where the slave owners live. My friends and I were fortunate enough to escape and build up our defenses against them. The whole thing is a long story. It is odd to us to see anyone besides them or the Ticaans." 

"Who are the Ticaans?" 

"I think we have a lot of explaining to do. You also need to tell us about yourself. Come in. Stay the night; eat with us." 

Riddick gave in. He was short on supplies, and he was grateful that he had come across nonviolent people. He was also eager to hear about their information. Riddick had a nagging feeling as he entered the complex. Tyana was with those slave traders. He tried to push the thought aside, but he couldn't help but think about what could have happened to her. He found himself imagining ripping apart the bodies of any of them that laid a finger on her. He decided to ignore his savage thoughts and instead focus on his current situation. He hated to admit to worrying about anyone other than himself.   
  
  
  



End file.
